Paul turned to see an English gentleman who was well dressed and whose attire made no concessions to the heat. He was wearing a tight tailcoat and breeches together with a frilled shirt and a starched cravat. On his head was a tall hat, and he carried a cane.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” said the gentleman. “Here, my card.”
He handed it to Paul, and Paul felt the quality of it even as he read the name, Sir Mark Bellingham, Bart.
“Of the Shropshire Bellinghams,” said Sir Mark.
“I don’t know the Shropshire Bellinghams,” said Paul awkwardly, feeling his lack of status.
“My dear sir, I would be surprised if you did,” said Sir Mark, amused. “But you will, I hope, become further acquainted with this one. I am looking for an artist to travel with me through Egypt, making a record of my journey and providing me with a number of finished paintings to hang on my wall when I return to England. You have just the talent… no,” he said, looking again at the paintings clustered haphazardly round Paul’s feet, “the genius I am looking for.”
Paul was flattered by the praise and the offer of employment, but he said, “I am already engaged.”
“Whatever your patron is paying, I will double it,” said Sir Mark, unconcerned.
“I think you would regret the offer if you knew the cost,” said Paul with a sudden smile. “Besides, I cannot abandon my current patron in the middle of his journey.”
“I admire your loyalty, if regretting its consequences. But can we not share you? If you will accept a commission for three paintings of Alexandria from me—”
Paul shook his head.
“We will only be in Alexandria for a few days. After that, we travel to Cairo.”
“That is no difficulty,” said Sir Mark, waving away the problem. “I will be going to Cairo myself next week.”
“But we will not be long there, either,” said Paul. “We will be travelling down the Nile shortly afterward.”
“I, too, will be sailing down the Nile,” said Sir Mark. “Whereabouts will you be staying?”
“We will be joining Sir Matthew Rosen’s dig.”
“Ah,” said Sir Mark. For the first time he acknowledged the problem.
“I believe Mr Darcy had a certain amount of difficulty in persuading Sir Matthew to accept his presence,” said Paul. “I am not sure Sir Matthew would welcome another…”
“Dilettante?” suggested Sir Mark. “Well, perhaps not. But you will not be working for Mr Darcy forever. Perhaps you will be good enough to keep me informed of your progress, and when your present patron announces his intention of returning to England, you will find another patron waiting for you.”
“That is very good of you,” said Paul. The thought of continuing employment was very welcome. “But I believe I must return to England with the Darcys.”
“Must you?” asked Sir Mark. “But why?” His eye, which had been travelling over Paul’s collection of sketches and paintings, came to rest on a portrait of Elizabeth. “Ah!” he said. “It seems there is a lady in the case. Your patron has a daughter, and a very lovely one. I understand now your reluctance to leave him.”
“That is not his daughter; it is his wife,” said Paul.
“Indeed,” said Sir Mark with a quick glance at Paul. “A beautiful woman.”
“Yes, she is,” said Paul.
Sir Mark looked at him appraisingly for a moment then looked again at his paintings, letting his gaze wander over them until they came to rest on a sketch of Sophie.
“And who is this?” he asked.
“That is Miss Lucas, a friend of the Darcys,” said Paul, blushing as he said it.
Sir Mark smiled.
“I see. A family friend. A young lady who is well-connected and therefore above a poverty-stricken artist with his way to make in the world. But not above an artist with a wealthy patron and a handsome income, I think. Keep me informed of your whereabouts, young man. True artists are hard to find, and I believe you could make my reputation as a serious patron of the arts. In return, I could make your fortune.”
With that, he tipped his hat and walked away.
Paul watched him go and then turned the card over in his hand again. Sir Mark Bellingham. A wealthy baronet with a love of art.
Visions of a rosy future opened up in front of Paul. He saw himself paying court to Sophie, winning her hand, and then settling in some splendid home, thanks to Sir Mark. There would be London exhibitions, fame, fortune, success…
A camel bumped into his easel and the painting fell, still wet, toward the sand. Leaping into action, Paul managed to catch it before it hit the ground, while the camel driver shouted at him in rich, colourful language and the passing throng laughed, brought together by the comical scene, before moving on.
Paul began to pack up his belongings, laughing at himself wryly for his daydreams. It was too hot now to paint and he wanted to return to his room, where in the relative cool he could ponder the morning’s events.
***
The man who had introduced himself as Sir Mark Bellingham returned to his lodgings with no less to ponder. He had learned a lot about the movements of the Darcys and had confirmed what he already knew, as well as giving himself the advantage of an informant in Darcy’s camp, for he did not doubt that the artist would apprise him of his movements, particularly if there should be any change to the Darcys’ plan.
He went into the walled house, with its refuse-strewn courtyard, and up the crumbling flight of steps to the large room beyond. His wife was there, surrounded by a host of colourful items: shawls and scarves and earthenware pots. She looked up as he entered the room.
“La, George, where have you been?” she asked. “I have been wanting to go out this last half hour, but it is not safe for a woman to go out unaccompanied here. I set my foot out of the door and nearly had it shot off by a soldier of some kind. The men here are not what they are at home.”
“And so I told you before we arrived,” he said.
“I wish you would tell me what we are doing here. You told me it would be an adventure, but all it has been so far is seasickness and dysentery,” Lydia said discontentedly.
“You did nothing but flirt with the sailors on the various ships that brought us here, and as for dysentery, you have the strongest stomach I have ever come across in a woman,” said her husband without sympathy.
“La, George, ever since Mama told us that Lizzy was going to Egypt you have been acting very strange. I am sure I had no objection to leaving England, seeing as how our creditors were pressing us close, but I wish you would tell me what we are doing here. And what are these cards for?” she asked, picking up one of the calling cards he had lately given to Paul Inkworthy. “Who is Sir Mark Bellingham?”
“For the moment, I am,” said George.
“Oh, another scheme,” said Lydia. “You are always hatching some plan or other.”
“This one will make our fortune,” said Wickham.
“How will coming to Egypt make our fortune?” said Lydia. “And why did we have to come by ourselves instead of travelling with Lizzy and Darcy? We could have travelled in comfort, instead of taking passage on a variety of cheap old tubs, setting off before Lizzy and arriving after her.”
“Because no one must know we are here, least of all Darcy.” He had no particular wish to take her into his confidence, but she gave him no peace until at last he rapped out, “If he knows we are here, he will know we are after the treasure.”
“Treasure?” said Lydia, stopping in midsentence. “What treasure? There is something you are not telling me, George. Very well, if you will not tell me, I will ask Mr Darcy. I am sure it will not be hard to find out where he is staying.”